As climate change continues to warm our oceans, threatening extinction of many corals and marine life, the world looks towards the diving industry to kickstart a reaction to the pressing issues currently faced. Misool, a pro-active resort and conservation centre, has been awarded an implementation project contract to Singapore-based renewable energy microgrid service provider, Canopy Power Pte Ltd, and Berlin-based smart energy storage provider, QINOUS.

The project is looking to reduce the diesel consumption by around 55%, and will greatly benefit the surrounding ecosystem as well as improve visitors’ experiences when staying on the island. Alongside this new project, the Misool Foundation (the registered charity arm of the resort), created the ever-expanding Misool Marine Reserve, carried out the Misool Community Recycling Project, and orchestrated the Misool Manta Project. All these projects were articulated to improve the lives of the local community members, and sustain the land and ocean on which they live.

It’s a fantastic step forward, and a leading example of how active a resort should be in conservation.

PRESS RELEASE

Misool Eco Resort, a resort and conservation centre located in remote southern Raja Ampat, Indonesia, has awarded an implementation project contract to Singapore-based renewable energy microgrid service provider, Canopy Power Pte Ltd, and Berlin-based smart energy storage provider, QINOUS. This implementation will reduce annual diesel consumption by 55 percent by hybridising the existing diesel microgrid with solar photovoltaic (PV) and Li-ion batteries. Once commissioned in Q2 2017, this will be one of the largest hybrid microgrids in the Raja Ampat area.

The microgrid is designed by Canopy Power Pte Ltd. Canopy Power will be responsible for constructing and commissioning the system. Canopy Power will also provide a remote monitoring support to Misool. The battery solution including the Site Controller and Microgrid Energy Management System with embedded remote monitoring system for this off grid energy system will come from QINOUS.

“This project is an important next step towards our carbon-free future,” said Andrew Miners, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Misool. “The implementation of this hybrid system will significantly reduce our usage of fossil fuels and focuses firmly on environmental sustainability. Misool is located in an area of unparalleled natural beauty and marine biodiversity. Our operational decisions must reflect the value of these natural assets and this implementation will bolster our objective of protecting the world’s richest reefs.”

The resort’s electrical supply will be based on a 125 kW array of solar PV panels and diesel generators. A Lithium-ion energy storage system is used to store excess solar power for night-time use or in periods of low sunshine. The energy storage system is able to provide significant reductions in fuel consumption as it allows the diesel generators to be completely disabled for extended periods of time.

“We are very pleased to help Misool to substantially reduce their carbon footprint while cutting the overall electricity generation cost. We hope that this project will become a pioneering project in the region”, said Sujay Malve, CEO of Canopy Power.

“We are very happy to contribute our part in making Misool an even more environmentally sound place. It is a great project to demonstrate how the QINOUS battery solutions increase the use of renewable energies and thereby significantly reduce diesel fuel consumption, CO2 emissions, noise, pollution and electricity cost.”, said Dr. George Hanna, Managing Director of QINOUS.